MANGROVE MITRAS: A CITIZEN SCIENCE INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN MUMBAI
Mangrove Mitras
Mumbai – In a step towards building urban climate resilience, the Mangrove Mitras initiative was launched today in Mumbai on the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem by WWF-India in collaboration with the Mangrove Cell and Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra under the aegis of the newly established Mangrove Coalition. Ms. Nyrika Holkar, Executive Director of Godrej & Boyce and Dr Manas Manjrekar, Deputy Director - Research & Capacity Building, Mangrove Foundation graced the event and spoke about the need for mangrove restoration and crucial role played by citizens to support this cause. Dr. Manjrekar also administered the Mangrove Mitra pledge-a commitment to work individually and collectively for the protection of mangroves.
This citizen science initiative aims to mobilise multiple stakeholders, including urban citizens and local communities to engage constructively in the conservation of mangroves. This could help to rebuild a people-wetland-river-mangrove connect through an immersive experience on the magical value of mangroves and inspire them to be the stewards of these ecosystems.
Citizen science can be an effective approach for engaging stakeholders to generate curiosity and interest on this undervalued ecosystem, and to initiate a continuous dialogue and mobilise collective action for conservation. Convening stakeholders under a platform of mitras has proven effective in generating information and driving collective action to conserve rivers and wetlands and their associated species in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, and West Bengal.
Mangrove Mitras will join hands in mangrove protection and management by monitoring mangrove health, documenting biodiversity, raising public awareness, and supporting conservation and restoration efforts in their neighbourhoods and beyond.
The launch event in Mumbai today was attended by 50 people and marked the formal registration of the first batch of Mangrove Mitras that included volunteers from NGOs, experts/researchers, educators, environmental volunteers, college groups, youth organisations, and urban citizens living in and around mangrove and associated habitats. Later during the day, the Mangrove Mitras embarked on an experiential journey to the Vikhroli mangroves to explore and experience various aspects of the ecosystem and get a first-hand experience of citizen science engagement.
“Mangroves are our allies to enhance climate resilience in coastal cities like Mumbai. Through Mangrove Mitras, we hope to bring stakeholders including communities together and empower them with science and stewardship tools to observe, monitor, protect, and restore these critical coastal lifelines. In the face of rapid urbanisation and growing climate threats, collective action and stewardship is not optional—it is essential”, said Suresh Babu, Senior Director – Ecological Footprints, WWF-India.
As part of the Mangrove Coalition, WWF-India is also co-developing a Mangrove Health Assessment Protocol—a standardised, science-based framework to evaluate mangrove ecosystem health. This tool will integrate ecological indicators (such as species diversity and vegetation cover), hydrological data (including tidal flow and salinity), and socio-economic factors to enable comprehensive, data-driven conservation planning and action in Mumbai. The Mangrove Coalition represents a strategic move toward strengthening climate resilience in India’s coastal cities through science-based, community-driven conservation.
Mangrove Mitras
Mangrove Mitras
